West Midland Regional League

Premier Division

Tuesday 22nd August 2017

Tividale 1 v 0 Bewdley Town

Tividale edge Town in Tussle

This was a clash between two committed teams in a game that neither deserved to lose. In a real blood and thunder game, the visitors possibly shaved it on chances but Tividale were more organised and there attacks had more purpose and were sharper.

Bewdley were the first to threaten when on 6 minutes Luke Morris saw his shot deflected onto the post by Tividale keeper Ryan Cheshire. Two minutes later a Curtis Seeking cross was smashed over the bar by Ashley Stubbins. On their first real attack after 12 minutes Tividale took the lead. Joe Lawley hit a lovely long cross field pass into the left channel and found Dan Smith who beat his marker before rolling the ball to Chris Bladen for a simple finish.

A couple of minutes later Ashley Stubbins had a great chance of levelling the scores when Morris played him in, but once again he put his shot over the bar.

Tividale had to make a change after 21 minutes when Nathan Jones had to replace defender Freddie Watts who had picked up an injury just before the goal.

The rest of the half was littered with robust challenges, stoppage’s and a flurry of yellow cards.

Half Time:- Tividale 1 v 0 Bewdley Town

Tividale were the first to go close when from a free kick on the edge of the Bewdley penalty area, Darragh Bustin’s effort just curled wide of the post. Bewdley hit right back with Ellis Stubbins forcing a great save from Cheshire via a deflection. On 50 minutes Smith’s pace again caused problems in the Bewdley defence. But although he comfortably beat his man, he shot straight at visiting keeper Joe Sidaway. Jones then saw his shot well blocked by Bewdley defender Simon Rudd. On the hour mark, Seeking found himself free in the area but he headed straight at Cheshire.

The game again became disjointed with petty fouls and stoppages as Bewdley pressed and Tividale defended but always looking dangerous on the counter and Smith will feel he should have done better when he shot wide with 15 minutes to go.

As the game moved into injury time, Tividale looked although they would just get over the line with a 1-0 win. But with literally the last piece of action in the game Sidaway failed to find any distance from his clearance on the edge of his area, the ball landing at the feet of substitute Harvey Walker some 35 yards out. Walker then hit the ball back over the stranded keeper and into the back of the net.

Full Time:-Tividale 2 v 0 Bewdley Town

Tividale:- 1.Ryan Cheshire, 2.Tom Hurdman, 3. Darragh Bustin 4.Karl Gardner, 5.Freddie Watts (12. Nathan Jones 21), 6.Chris Hill, 7.Liam Wilkinson, 8. Curtis Cocking, 9. Chris Bladen, 10. Dan Smith (15. Elliott Hartley 80), 11. Joe Lawley (14. Harvey Walker 74)

Unused Subs:- 16.Bradley Welding, 17. James Bland